I stammer in shock at the medicine cat's words.

"You don't have to answer now. But I would like an answer by sunhigh." Rosethorn meows before padding into her den. Pollenpaw bounds up to me and stares at me with confusion.

"What was that about?" She meows softly

"Rosethorn... She..." I choke out, a tear rolling down my cheek

"Sparrowpaw?" Pollenpaw meows quietly, pressing against my fur sympathetically

"She asked me to be her apprentice..." I meow. She doesn't answer, just stares into the empty apprentices' den.

"No cat's in there. Let's talk in there." I nod in agreement and follow her into our den.

"Well what do you want to do?" Pollenpaw meows, settling down into her nest

"I don't know Pollenpaw!" I wail. She looks at me and giggles "What's so funny?" The cream apprentice laughs even harder and flops down into her nest. After a few heartbeats she sits up and takes a deep breath.

"You're so cute when you're nervous and confused!" I flop down laughing too but instantly sit up with seriousness as I here footsteps. Poolpaw steps in, instantly rolls her eyes and slithers through the side to the den. I send Pollenpaw a confused look but we flop down in laughter again. After a while my stomach starts to hurt and I look up but Pollenpaw is laying down, sleeping away. I shrug, deciding it's not a bad idea and I drift into a nap. I instantly wake up somewhere in the forest, confused as ever. Before I yowl my mother's name, four kits appear in front of me: a golden tabby tom, a fluffy gray tom with black spots, a she-cat who looks exactly like Pollenpaw, and a light gray and cream she-cat.

"Hi. I'm Sparr--," I'm cut off by a new from the golden tabby tom

"Don't do it!" It mews, then fades away quickly, leaving me looking at the second kit

"Please." It whispers before fading away

"Our lives will be terrible." The "mini Pollenpaw" meows, then fades away with a pained look in her eyes when I glance at the last kit

"It doesn't matter much to me but for the sake of the others... Please don't choose the wrong path."

"Which path is wrong?" I wail but I soon realize I'm standing alone. I flop down, tears rolling down my cheek, and go back to sleep.

"Sparrowpaw?" Pollenpaw whispers "What happened?" After a few moments of breathing and thinking, I finally explain the dream. The four kits telling me to pick the right path, everything. She takes a deep breath and releases, letting her soft, beautiful cream fur to sink back.

"Well?" I meow, an impatient tang clinging to my voice like bird on a branch.

"Don't take it, don't be her apprentice." She breaths. I nod and begin to walk out.

"Thank you," I smile to her before we fall into sleep once again.

~~~

I wake up and see little fluffs of snow dancing around the sky. It looks so beautiful against the bare trees and the blue sky. I don't see Rosethorn though, so I walk over to Acornstar's den, she's probably over there helping with the kits. I'm going to tell her today, with my courage finally gathered.

"Sparrowpaw!" A voice cheers with joy from inside the den "Just in time, we're naming the kits and I think you should help, or at least watch!" I step inside the rather large den and see seven kits all fluffed up in a pile, the pure white one with blue eyes sitting, unattentive, by Acornstar and Clouddrop chatting with Rosethorn. I giggle gratefully and sit down with them, watching the kits.

"Alright kits," Clouddrop meows, rather loudly to get the kits' attention "Line up by birth order." The couple days ago they were born flashes in my head and I remember the order. Acornstar look alike, gray and white tom, brown tabby, light brown and black, multi-gray, fluffy white number one, fluffy white number two, then the gray and white. Surprisingly, the kits all line up in order after fussing and fighting. Well, except for the strange she-cat, the one with white fur and blue eyes. Clouddrop nudges her in between and looks at her mate. "Acornstar, you name the first one." She sighs with a smile and takes a moment to thin.

"Hollykit, for her bright green eyes." She meows while the kit prances around

"I've got a name! I've got a name!" Hollykit giggles, making the next kit give a little growl

"Wolfkit. For his looks, or so I've been told, and his silly little growling habit." Clouddrop chuckles, cuffing his son around the ear, but he laughs and jumps out of line, like his older sister. Acornstar glances around and lays back a little, looking up at the sky.

"Cricketkit." The leader meows, sitting back up. The smaller tabby tom blushes gratefully and mumbles a thank you. The next kit's face is flaming with annoyance, probably at the speed this is going, and I don't blame her. I'm getting a bit restless myself.

"Spiderkit, she just seems like one." Clouddrop laughs while his mate giggles heartily. I glance at the next kit, who is nervously glances around.

"Ashkit," Acornstar breaths. Ashkit sighs with relief and dances around with her littermates. Clouddrop mutters a few names but Acornstar jolts up before he could name the next kit, the one she strangely sobbed at. "Glowkit, please. After Glowpaw." Clouddrop nods and licks his mate's ear lovingly while he looks at the next kit, who is staring off StarClan knows where. Rosethorn suddenly gets up and flashes her tail at the kit. She doesn't move or say anything.

"Have you heard her talk at all? Or really listen to anything?" The medicine cat meows, almost examining the kit. Acornstar shakes her head.

"No, she's always staring off and never listening. I haven't heard her speak a word either." She meows, then lowering her voice to a low wail "Is she... deaf?" Rosethorn droops her head down and nods.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"How will we name her? How will she learn anything?" Clouddrop protests, digging his claws into the soft dirt below us. Suddenly, an idea strikes through me.

"I know!" I meow "I'll take her outside and point at the snow, mouthing the word. She'll read my lips, know what it is, then that could be her name." They all look at me for a moment, but then nod their heads.

"Do it!" Acornstar shouts "What are you waiting for?" I nod, then catch the kit's attention by flicking my tail. She looks at me, then follows me out the den. I point my tail at the falling snow, grateful it's big snowflakes, and repeat "snow" over and over again. Finally, after saying it for a bit, I point to her and say "Snow...kit." until she acknowledges it. After being out for what feels like a day, she moves her lips, ever so slightly and whispers,

"Sow...kit"

"Yes!" I meow to her, and she smiles, then trots back into the den, repeating her name over and over again. When I follow her back, all the cats are cheering and smiling at me.

"Great job!" Clouddrop laughs

"You're amazing Sparrowpaw! Thank you!" Acornstar meows, getting up to touch noses. Rosethorn doesn't say anything, but she nods approvingly. "Name the last one, please. We owe you." I nod with a smile and look at the last tom, the gray one with white patches like clouds and light blue eyes like the... sky. That's it!

"Skykit!" I meow, praying to StarClan they like it

"Oh thank you Sparrowpaw, I love it." All the kits bounce around and laugh, glad they have their names. Rosethorn motions me out, but I can't help asking the question that's been bothering me.

"Acornstar?" I meow, almost out of the den

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you name them like we're supposed to, as soon as they open their eyes?"

"Well, there's eight of them and I figured it be easier to name them all at once." She laughs. I nod quickly and head out, almsot bumping into the medicine cat.

"Sorry," I mutter "I didn't think you'd be there." She just looks at me, with a slight grin. "Oh! Right, the answer." I pause then begin talk again "I can't Rosethorn, I'm sorry. I-I had a dream, where these four kits told me not to pick the wrong path, and I think being your appretnice is the wrong path for me." She nods, but meows back after taking a few steps.

"You're talented though Sparrowpaw, I can see it. But I also see I can't talk you out of it." She sighs "But if you ever see yourself on the wrong path, don't hesitate to let me know."

"Of course. Thank you."

Alright, there you go, chapter eight! I can sense the terribleness starting to flow, but I promise it'll pick up soon. Thank you guys so much for reading and the 1.6K views! I hope you enjoyed!

Swift